瓜李之嫌 — “To be in a situation that gives rise to suspicion”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 瓜李之嫌?

瓜李：瓜田李下。比喻处在嫌疑的地位。

瓜李之嫌 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be in a situation that gives rise to suspicion”. To be liable to be suspected of impropriety, even if innocent; to avoid situations that might cause others to suspect one's integrity. Literally, “Suspicion of melon and plum”.

Frequency

瓜李之嫌 Pronunciation and Pinyin

瓜李之嫌 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
瓜	guā	5	Melon or gourd
李	lǐ	7	plum tree or fruit
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
嫌	xián	13	dislike, suspect, resent

Example Sentence with 瓜李之嫌

为了避免瓜李之嫌，他主动辞去了与公司财务有直接关联的职务。

To avoid any suspicion, he voluntarily resigned from positions directly related to the company's finances.

Origin and Story of 瓜李之嫌

During the Northern Qi Dynasty, Yuan Yuxiu, a scholar of profound knowledge, became the governor of Boling. He was known for his integrity, strict distinction between public and private affairs, and refusal to accept any money or gifts from others.

One time, while on an inspection tour, he passed through Yanzhou. His old friend, Xing Shao, who was the governor of Yanzhou, offered him a bolt of white silk produced locally.

Yuan Yuxiu politely declined, explaining that he needed to avoid 'guā tián lǐ xià zhī xián' (the suspicion of being in the melon field and under the plum tree), emphasizing the importance for local officials to steer clear of situations that might lead to suspicion.